Heavy machinery substructure for traversing and working over ground obstructions

Abstract

The present invention includes a load bearing mid-section weldment connected between a pair of telescoping incremental stepper assemblies to create a clearance space beneath the load bearing mid-section weldment and the telescoping incremental stepper assemblies thereby allowing the heavy machinery substructure to move and work over ground obstructions. Each telescoping incremental stepper assembly includes a bridge weldment connected between a pair of telescoping legs. Each telescoping leg includes at least one pair of nested leg sections and a linear actuator to adjust the length of the telescoping leg. Each telescoping leg further includes a fixed foot and an articulating pad assembly. The articulating pad assembly is configured to alternatively lift the foot and itself from the ground and moves the foot and itself relative to one another to move the heavy machinery substructure in incremental steps over the ground and any obstructions. The length of each telescoping leg is user adjustable and defines the height of the clearance space. The width of the load bearing mid-section defines the width of the clearance space. The length of the incremental stepper assembly defines the depth of the clearance space.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An heavy machinery substructure for traversing and working over obstructions projecting away from the ground comprising:
 a pair of incremental stepper assemblies configured to support heavy machinery, each incremental stepper assembly comprising:
 a bridge weldment; 
 two telescoping legs releasably connected to the bridge weldment at opposing end regions of the bridge weldment, wherein the telescopic legs are configured to position the bridge weldment at a user defined distance above the obstructions, each telescopic leg comprising:
 at least one telescopic joint; 
 a foot connected to the lower region of the telescoping leg to make contact with the ground; 
 a linear actuator mounted between an upper region of the telescopic leg and a lower region of the telescopic leg such that altering the length of the linear actuator alters the height of the bridge weldment above a ground obstruction; 
 
 two articulating pad assemblies, each articulating pad assembly connected to a corresponding telescopic leg, each articulating pad assembly comprising:
 a pad; 
 a lifting linear actuator with two ends, the first end of the lifting linear actuator connected to the telescopic leg and the second end of the lifting linear actuator slideably coupled to the pad to alternatively lift the foot and the pad from the ground; and 
 a traversing linear actuator mounted between a lower region of the lifting linear actuator and the pad such that altering the length of the traversing linear actuator moves the pad and foot relative to one another causing stepped movement of the heavy machinery substructure; 
 
 
 a mid-section weldment releasably connected between the incremental stepper assemblies, the mid-section weldment configured to support the heavy machinery; 
 a clearance space formed between the ground and the bridge weldments and the mid-section weldment so that ground obstructions may pass or remain under the bridge weldments, the mid-section or a combination thereof unimpeded by the heavy machinery substructure; and 
 a power source to selectively operate the linear actuators, 
 the lifting linear actuator and the transversing linear actuator. 
 
     
     
       2. A heavy machinery substructure as recited in  claim 1 , each telescoping leg further comprising a ratchet system connected to the telescoping leg, wherein the ratchet system comprises a pawl fixed on one side of the at least one telescopic joint and selectively engaging a linear rack of teeth fixed on an opposite side of the at least one telescopic joint to prevent the telescoping leg from collapsing upon itself in the event of linear actuator failure or power source failure. 
     
     
       3. A heavy machinery substructure as recited in  claim 1 , each telescoping leg further comprising a pinning assembly connected to the telescoping leg, wherein the pinning assembly comprises at least one locking pin passing through at least one pair of axially aligned apertures formed through the at least one telescopic joint to fix the length of the telescoping leg to a pre-determined length; and the power source to further selectively operate the pinning assembly. 
     
     
       4. A heavy machinery substructure as recited in  claim 1 , the articulating pad assembly further comprising a steering assembly mounted between the telescoping leg and the pad assembly, the steering assembly comprising a spherical bearing for rotation of the pad about an axis passing through the lifting linear actuator; and the power source to further selectively operate the steering assembly. 
     
     
       5. A heavy machinery substructure for traversing and working over obstructions projecting away from the ground comprising:
 a pair of bridge weldments; 
 a mid-section weldment connected to and between the bridge weldments, the mid-section configured to support heavy machinery; 
 two pairs of telescoping legs, each pair of telescoping legs are connected at opposing ends of a corresponding bridge weldment, each telescoping leg comprising:
 a top leg section; 
 a middle leg section; the middle leg section nested within and releasably ratchet coupled to the top leg section; 
 a bottom leg section nested within and releasably ratchet coupled to the middle leg section; 
 a foot connected to a lower region of the bottom leg section; 
 a linear actuator with two ends, the first end of the linear actuator connected to the bottom leg section and the second end of the linear actuator connected to the top leg section; 
 an articulating pad assembly connected to the bottom leg section, the articulating pad assembly comprising:
 a main frame assembly; and 
 a pad assembly, the pad assembly comprising:
 a pad; 
 a cylinder cage weldment slideably coupled to the pad; and 
 a traversing linear actuator with two ends, the first end of the traversing linear actuator connected to the pad and the second end of the traversing linear actuator connected to the cylinder cage weldment; and 
 
 a lifting linear actuator with two ends, the first end of the lifting linear actuator connected to the main frame assembly and the second end of the lifting linear actuator connected to the pad assembly; and 
 
 
 a power means to selectively operate:
 the linear actuators to alter the above ground height of the bridge weldment; 
 the lifting linear actuator and the traversing linear actuator to incrementally move the bridge weldment in a user defined direction through alternating ground contact of the pads and the feet. 
 
 
     
     
       6. A heavy machinery substructure as recited in  claim 5 , each telescoping leg further comprising:
 an upper ratchet system connected between top leg section and middle leg section, the upper ratchet system comprising:
 an upper linear rack connected to the top leg section, the upper linear rack comprising:
 a plurality of asymmetrical teeth fixed and extending away from the upper linear rack; 
 
 an upper pawl connected to the middle leg section, the upper pawl configured to selectively engage the plurality of asymmetrical teeth of the upper linear rack to prevent movement of the top leg section towards the middle leg section; 
 
 a lower ratchet system connected between the middle leg section and the bottom leg section, the lower ratchet system comprising:
 a lower linear rack connected to the bottom leg section, the lower linear rack comprising:
 a plurality of asymmetrical teeth fixed and extending away from the lower linear rack; and 
 
 lower pawl connected to the middle leg section, the lower pawl configured to selectively engage the plurality of asymmetrical teeth of the lower linear rack to prevent movement of the middle leg section towards the lower leg section. 
 
 
     
     
       7. A heavy machinery substructure as recited in  claim 5 , each telescopic leg further comprising:
 an upper locking aperture formed in the top leg section; 
 at least two middle locking apertures formed in the middle leg section, the first middle locking aperture located above the second middle locking aperture; 
 a lower locking aperture formed in the bottom leg section; 
 an upper pinning assembly mounted on the middle leg section, the upper pinning assembly comprising:
 an upper locking pin of sufficient length to pass through the upper locking aperture and the first middle locking aperture when the upper locking aperture and the first middle locking aperture are aligned; and 
 an upper linear actuator mounted to the middle leg section and connected to one end of the upper locking pin, the upper linear actuator configured to stroke the upper locking pin in or out of the aligned upper locking aperture and the first middle locking aperture; 
 
 a lower pinning assembly mounted on the bottom leg section, the lower pinning assembly comprising:
 a lower locking pin of sufficient length to pass through the lower locking aperture and the second middle locking aperture when the lower locking aperture and the second middle locking aperture are aligned; and 
 a lower linear actuator mounted to the bottom leg section and connected to one end of the lower locking pin, the lower linear actuator configured to stoke the lower locking pin in or out of the aligned lower locking aperture and the second middle locking aperture; and 
 
 the power means to further selectively operate the upper linear actuator and the lower linear actuator. 
 
     
     
       8. A heavy machinery substructure as recited in  claim 5 , wherein each articulating pad assembly further comprising:
 a steering assembly mounted to the main frame weldment and the articulating pad assembly, the steering assembly comprising:
 a spheric bearing mounted between the lifting linear actuator and the pad assembly; 
 a gear mounted to the pad assembly; 
 a pinioned rotary actuator mounted to the main frame weldment and further enmeshed with the gear; 
 
 the power means to further selectively operate the pinioned rotary actuator to rotate the pad assembly to a user defined position. 
 
     
     
       9. A heavy machinery substructure for traversing and working over obstructions projecting away from the ground comprising:
 a pair of bridge weldments; 
 a mid-section weldment connected to and between the bridge weldments, the mid-section configured to support heavy machinery; 
 two pairs of telescoping legs, each pair of telescoping legs are connected at opposing ends of a corresponding bridge weldment, each telescoping leg comprising:
 a top leg section; 
 a middle leg section; the middle leg section nested within and releasably ratchet coupled to the top leg section; 
 a bottom leg section nested within and releasably ratchet coupled to the middle leg section; 
 a foot connected to a lower region of the bottom leg section; 
 a linear actuator with two ends, the first end of the linear actuator connected to the bottom leg section and the second end of the linear actuator connected to the top leg section; 
 an articulating pad assembly connected to the bottom leg section, the articulating pad assembly comprising:
 a main frame assembly; and 
 a pad assembly, the pad assembly comprising:
 a pad; 
 a cylinder cage weldment slideably coupled to the pad; and 
 a traversing linear actuator with two ends, the first end of the traversing linear actuator connected to the pad and the second end of the traversing linear actuator connected to the cylinder cage weldment; and 
 
 a lifting linear actuator with two ends, the first end of the lifting linear actuator connected to the main frame assembly and the second end of the lifting linear actuator connected to the pad assembly; and 
 
 a power means to selectively operate:
 the linear actuators to alter the above ground height of the bridge weldment; 
 the lifting linear actuator and the traversing linear actuator to incrementally move the bridge weldment in a user defined direction through alternating ground contact of the pads and the feet; and 
 
 
 wherein outer dimensions of the telescoping legs and outer dimension of the bridge weldment, separately do not exceed a length of about 53 feet, a width of about 8 feet 6 inches and a height of 9 feet 10 inches.